You've got half a million $$$'s invested and you work punishing hours while customers ask if your store is closing down and the landlord's breathing down your neck ! Welcome to the world of a Pie Face franchisee.

Some principals and property managers expressed their disappointment today in the Federal Budget suggesting low interest rates are not enough to kick start the market without incentives for home buyers and major infrastructure investment.

Small Business appeared to be looking for more and were disappointed with the detail of the 2013 Federal Budget Announcements - John Symonds, Aussie Home Loans suggested the budget was a 'non-event' - many agreed with him.

Full of beans: Coffee overtakes tea in popularity as Aussies ditch chain cafes

29/11/2012

Coffee has overtaken tea as the hot drink of choice for Australian consumers, according to a new report, with an industry analyst going even further suggesting we prefer independent cafés now more than coffee chains.

Gerry Harvey has been at it again during the week. The retail veteran has predicted gloomy times ahead for the retail industry, saying that while the upcoming Christmas will be a bright spot for many companies, the aftermath will be worse.

Australian entrepreneurs are optimistic about opportunities for growth, with 74% saying they would open a new business in this country right now, according to a study released yesterday by the Entrepreneurs' Organization.

The gourmet pizza chain, which this year celebrated its 10th anniversary, accepted an acquisition offer from Retail Food Group in August for $24 million. The sale landed the Crust Pizza’s founders, Costa Anastasiadis and Michael Logos, on the Young Rich List a week ago.

The Australian Taxation Office wrongly investigated almost 6,000 small business owners for being non-compliant cash economy taxpayers, according to a review by the Inspector General of Taxation released yesterday.

Fund managers have faced a trying six months as last year’s gloom over the European debt crisis evaporated, to be replaced by surging confidence that the global economy is once again poised for growth.

Sportsgirl unveils new fitting-room image sharing app – five lessons you can learn from this tech-savvy business

25/03/2012

Just one month after Sportsgirl introduced a new mobile sales channel with QR codes, the company has introduced another technology innovation that allows users to share photos of themselves trying on new outfits in the company’s stores.

Are Aussie consumers starting to spend again? The latest national accounts data tends to suggest that they are with the broadest measure of spending – household consumption – rising by 1.2% in the September quarter to stand 3.8% higher than a year ago.

Businesses and individuals are being warned to watch out for fake Christmas gift cards being distributed through social media sites after some Australian companies have been forced to issue clarifications saying they are not offering discounts of any sort.

While businesses are aware of the potential usefulness of social media in connecting with their customers, many are still weighing up the cost of having to fund such activity before ploughing in with a tweet.

It's news startling enough to make your average bean-fiend cough and splutter into their espresso. After years of spreading the good word on specialty brews, Brisbane roaster Di Bella Coffee has entered the instant coffee market.

John Rigby apeaks to Kevin Turner on 4BC about Woolies launching 3 mega-hardware stores in 24 hours in SE Qld, how to enjoy a beer while having a haircut, and how Domino's are going 'green' trialling scooter deliveries.

Woolworths hardware offshoot Masters to open three megastores in 24 hours in Queensland

06/10/2011

In a move that's set to shake up the local hardware industry, Masters will pull off a triple whammy in Queensland next week - opening three megastores within 24 hours, with a fourth following a week later.

In a motoring coup, the directors of LMM Holdings (owner of Brisbane BMW Group) have upped their prestige offering a gear after acquiring Lamborghini Brisbane from Melbourne-based businessman Andrew Smith.

Mining magnate and Newcastle Knights owner Nathan Tinkler has maintained his position as Australia's richest person aged under 40, as young entrepreneurs defy economic conditions to build their wealth.

Terry White Chemists has reclaimed the No.1 spot as Brisbane’s top private company with revenues of $1.75 billion and 4000 staff.
The pharmacy giant joins a plethora of organisations to be profiled in Brisbane Business News annual Top Private Companies edition – out now in more than 500 greater Brisbane newsagencies.

Australian retail food brand manager and franchisor Retail Food Group this week opened its first Donut King store in Papua New Guinea, in conjunction with Donut King PNG master license partner, Retail Food Brands.

Retail Food Group, the company behind brands such as Brumby's Bakeries, Donut King, and Michel's, has overcome natural disasters and a challenging retail environment to establish 40 new outlets and a small rise in net profit.

After starting his first 99 Bikes shop at Milton in 2007 with just three employees, Matt Turner has increased his business to seven outlets in Queensland and 53 employees, turning over $10 million in the process during FY11

John Rigby talks to 4BC's Kevin Turner on the Business Show July 31st 2011

29/07/2011

John Rigby talks to Kevin Turner about business happenings during the week including the visit to Brisbane by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the growth and expansion of the 99 Bikes chain, and how the ACCC is taking action against unlicensed business brokers who really sell advertising not businesses.

The Australian Institute of Business Brokers (AIBB), the peak industry body representing Business Brokers, has received confirmation from the office of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) this week that its complaint against Macquarie Commercial and Business Sales Pty Ltd (Macquarie) for alleged misleading and deceptive conduct had been dealt with by the Commission and the misleading and deceptive publication has been withdrawn by Macquarie.

Ipswich businesses bouncing back following devastating January 2011 floods

21/07/2011

Beauty therapist Kate Hill is optimistic about the future after the epic summer flood ripped through her salon in downtown Ipswich. She was not defeated by the torrent of water, in fact it has made her business stronger.

John talks to Kevin about how former New York Mayor Rudi Giuliani reduced crime & brought big business back to the Big Apple, how Brisbane is now the 14th most expensive city in the world to live, and a $12m injection that's getting the tourism industry back on its feet.

Dreamy Donuts is cashing in on the closure of 21 Krispy Kreme stores, with the franchise brand celebrating its fifth birthday by accepting Krispy Kreme vouchers at all of its stores in Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Rental has enjoyed industry award wins and an overall profit increase of 20 percent in 2010 and is predicting further growth with increasing brand awareness with the introduction of a ‘hybrid’ business model in 2011.

International coffee franchise, Gloria Jean's Coffees has announced its intention to be "The Coffee House of the Future", launching a brand revamp comprising a new store layout, specialty team roles and a new food and coffee offering.

Rodney Adler will be 63 before he will be allowed to take a seat on the board of a company again. But the millionaire corporate crook, whose fortune was worth $85 million at its peak, is not letting that stop him from doing business.

Fitness centre operator Curves is the ninth most successful franchise company in the world. Its founder Gavin Heaves recently visited Australia and spoke to Business Spectator's Isabelle Oderberg about:
How you can maintain quality control in a franchising business
Imitation is the best form of flattery, but he's not worried about similar offerings in the marketplace
Why he believes being vocal about his political and religious beliefs won't affect the success of the company

At the South Australian Franchise Council Awards in 2010, V.I.P. nominated Chris Hammond from our Commercial Cleaning division for Franchisee of the Year in the category 2 or less employees. We were thrilled that Chris received the runner up award, to Action Coach franchisee Mark Carn.

The Cradle Mountain Lodge in Tasmania is Accor Group's latest franchise. The hotel is the 50th franchise hotel that Accor, which is moving away from the injection of fresh equity into hotels, has established in its Australasian network of 180 hotels. Accor owns or leases approximately 44% of its properties globally, but aims to reduce that figure to about 30%.